Former Henrico staffer found guilty of strangling ACE Center student

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A former Henrico County Public Schools staff member has been found guilty of strangling a student at the Henrico ACE Center on the Virginia Randolph Campus.

Erin Travers, 36, appeared in Henrico Circuit Court Thursday for the criminal hearing, where multiple teachers, an assistant principal and a student testified to the January 21 incident.

According to police, Travers, who was then a staff member, assaulted the daughter of Toya Nugin.

Based on testimony from witnesses, experts and photo evidence of the student's injuries presented during the hearing, the court found Travers guilty of both charges of malicious wounding and injury by strangulation.

According to a recording of the hearing, a teacher present during the incident said the fight broke out after Nugin's daughter, Khloe, was leaving the classroom and her backpack brushed up against Travers, who was in the doorway.

According to testimony, Travers responded in an expletive-laden tirade, telling her to "Get the F— out of the room," "You stupid A— B—! You're going to learn today," and "You F— with the wrong one," before putting both hands around her neck.

Multiple students and the assistant principal had to forcibly remove Travers from Khloe.

Testimony from a forensic nursing and medicine expert also said there was a reasonable degree of certainty that the injuries and symptoms Khloe sustained from the incident were consistent with strangulation.

I spoke with Nugin in February, just weeks following the strangulation incident.

"On the phone I heard my daughter screaming, she should tried to kill me mom. she just tried to kill me she had her hands around my neck," Nugin said.

"I can't wrap my mind around around why or who would do it," Nugin said.

The judge granted the defense attorney's request for Travers to remain out on bond, on the condition that Travers has no contact with the victim and that she does not perform any service within a school pending sentencing.

According to a spokesperson for Henrico County Public Schools, Travers was terminated from her position in February.

Travers' sentencing hearing, which has been set for February 17, 2027.